Supply

To supply a huge army is somewhat more complex
than a jigsaw puzzle. Some of the pieces simply do not exist.

An army moves, so it
needs things like railroads, roads and ships to both move the troops and the supplies that
they need. These 'lines of communication' must also be protected.

Even when the army is well supplied there are problems with soldiers 'casting off' the
things they don't immediately need during a battle. It is pretty easy to see why
they would drop their blanket and overcoat when they are being shot at, especially on a
warm day.

An army in that era relied heavily on animals for transportation and the cavalry.
Rufus Ingalls throughout his career would be required to handle the care and
feeding of thousands and thousands of horses and mules. Twenty-six pounds of
'forage' per day for each animal quickly becomes a tremendous amount.

The appearance of 'hoof and mouth' disease in the Civil War caused countless horses to
become useless and a burden on the quartermasters charged with their care.